Dual Barrier Boosting Serum 30ml
Four ceramides, NP, NS, AS and AP, sit behind Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 on a short list, with Panthenol and Biosaccharide Gum-1. A 30 ml serum, Korean-market formula, pressed in after toner.
No reviews yet30 ml
$158.33 per 100 ml
- Korean-market formula
- Ships from California or direct from Korea
- Korean barcode and batch code intact
- Suited to
- Dry skinCompromised barrierDehydrated skinSkin that has lost bounce
- Helps with
- Shoppers looking for Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 in a serumRoutines that want Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 and Ceramide NP in one stepFilling the serum step with a Korean-market formulaAnyone who wants the Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 serum sold on Korean shelves
In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days
We accept
You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.
- 30-day returns
- Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
- Tracked delivery to your door
How it works
The Dual Barrier Boosting Serum is a 30ml serum, used after toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. The peptide it is built around is Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12, named seventeenth on its own ingredient list. The same list carries Ceramide NP, Ceramide NS and Ceramide AS, so the peptide is not the only thing on it worth naming. How much of the Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 stays on the skin, and for how long, is decided by the serum format rather than by the list alone. This is the Original Korean Formula, the serum Celimax sells in Korea, Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 and all.
Key benefits
- Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12, the peptide this serum is built around
- Ceramide NP, Ceramide NS, Ceramide AS and Ceramide AP on the same list, barrier lipids
- Cholesterol and Phytosphingosine further down the same list
- Ceramide EOP and Biosaccharide Gum-1 further down the same list
- Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 named seventeenth on the manufacturer list printed on this page
- Original Korean Formula, the serum sold on Korean shelves
How to use
- Smooth two to three drops over cleansed and toned skin morning and evening, patting gently until absorbed before a moisturizer.
Where does this serum go in my routine?
After toner and before moisturizer, morning and evening. Anything thinner than a serum goes on before it, and anything richer goes on after. If you are adding it to a routine you already like, give it a week on its own first, so what you see is the Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 and not three changes at once.
Is this the Korean-market serum or a US version?
The Korean-market one, Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 and all. We match this serum to its Korean barcode before it reaches the shelf, which is the check that tells you which market release you are holding.
What else is on the list besides Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12?
Ceramide NP, Ceramide NS and Ceramide AS. The order they are printed in on this serum's panel is the order on the box, so you can see where Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 sits relative to them. Further down the same panel: Ceramide AP, Cholesterol and Phytosphingosine.
Not on the ingredient list below: fragrance or parfum, denatured or SD alcohol, essential oils, silicones, parabens, sulfate surfactants, mineral oil or petrolatum and added color.
Full INCI (28): Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Panthenol, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12, Ceramide NP, 2,3-Butanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Ceramide NS, Ceramide AS, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Dipropylene Glycol, Ceramide EOP
Ingredient list read from celimax.com on 10 September 2026.
28 of 28 explained
- Water solvent
- Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
- Butylene Glycol humectant
- Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
- Glycerin humectant
- Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
- Glycereth-26 humectant
- Glycereth-26 is a modified glycerin that hydrates with far less stickiness than glycerin itself. It is a common way to load water into a formula that has to stay light.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
- 1,2-Hexanediol humectant
- 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
- Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters emollient
- A heavy branched ester used to give lip and stick formulas gloss and cling without stickiness.
- Panthenol humectant
- Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.
- C14-22 Alcohols fatty alcohol
- C14-22 Alcohols is a declaration for a mixture of long-chain fatty alcohols. They thicken a cream and hold the emulsion together.
- Glyceryl Stearate emulsifier
- Glyceryl Stearate is glycerin joined to stearic acid, and one of the most used emulsifiers in skincare. It holds oil and water together and thickens the result, and it softens skin at the same time.
- Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol
- Cetearyl Alcohol is a waxy solid, not the drying kind of alcohol. It is a blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols used to thicken a cream and keep oil and water from separating, and it softens skin as it does so.
- Sorbitan Sesquioleate emulsifier
- Sorbitan Sesquioleate is a water-in-oil emulsifier and pigment disperser. Cleansing oils use it so water can be worked into the oil at the rinse.
16 more explained
- C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside emulsifier
- C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside is a sugar-derived emulsifier used in mild, plant-based cream bases.
- Carbomer thickener
- Carbomer is a synthetic polymer that only gels once a base neutralises it, which is why arginine or tromethamine sits nearby on the list. It gives the clear, non-stringy gel texture a xanthan formula cannot reach.
- Tromethamine pH adjuster
- Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
- Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster
- Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
- Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 peptide
- A two-amino-acid peptide with carboxymethyl groups added, which makes it strongly water soluble. It is used for the look of uneven tone.
- Ceramide NP barrier lipid
- Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
- 2,3-Butanediol humectant
- 2,3-Butanediol is a fermentation-derived glycol. It hydrates and, like the other longer glycols, makes a formula harder for microbes to grow in.
- Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier
- Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
- Biosaccharide Gum-1 polysaccharide
- Biosaccharide Gum-1 is a fermentation-derived sugar polymer that binds to skin and holds a moisture film in place. It gives a silky, non-tacky feel.
- Ceramide NS barrier lipid
- Ceramide NS is another of the ceramides skin makes for itself. It is used alongside NP and AP so a formula supplies a mixture rather than a single lipid.
- Ceramide AS barrier lipid
- Ceramide AS is a further member of the same lipid family. Its presence usually signals a formula built around a full ceramide profile rather than a single headline one.
- Ceramide AP barrier lipid
- Ceramide AP is a second cosmetic ceramide, distinguished by an extra hydroxyl group. Formulas that name several ceramides are copying the mix skin actually holds rather than relying on one.
- Cholesterol barrier lipid
- Cholesterol is the third of the three lipids the outer layer of skin is built from, with ceramides and fatty acids. Formulas that carry all three are following the ratio skin itself holds.
- Phytosphingosine barrier lipid
- Phytosphingosine is the backbone every ceramide is built on, and skin uses it in its own lipid layer. In a formula it works with ceramides and cholesterol and also keeps the product stable against microbes.
- Dipropylene Glycol humectant
- Dipropylene Glycol is a glycol used as a solvent and a light humectant. Its main job is keeping the rest of the formula dissolved and the texture fluid rather than adding hydration of its own.
- Ceramide EOP barrier lipid
- Ceramide EOP is the ceramide with the longest tail, and in skin it acts as the rivet holding the lipid layers together. It is the third member of the standard cosmetic ceramide trio.
- Market
- Korean market, the version sold in Korea
- EAN (barcode)
- 8809606850482
- Made in
- Republic of Korea
- Volume
- 30 ml
- Category
- Serum & Ampoule
- Actives
- Ceramide NP, Ceramides, Panthenol
- Ships from
- California or Korea
Orders ship from California or direct from Korea with tracked delivery to your door, and both routes carry the same Korean-market release. Shipping is free on orders of $100 or more. Returns are accepted for 30 days, by mail.
We split shipments free, so one out-of-stock item never holds up the rest of your order.
Where this unit came from
- 1Seoul
Bought as Korean-market stock - 2Barcode
Listed against the Korean barcode on its box - 3California or Korea
Ships to you from either, as the same Korean-market release
We stock the version of a formula that is sold in Korea, not the release a brand prepares for another market under the same name. The barcode in the specification above is the Korean-market one and it is printed on the box you receive.
Every unit keeps its original barcode and batch code intact, so the unit in your hands can be checked against the brand’s own records.
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, and returns run for 30 days.
Every claim on this page traces to the unit in the box, the barcode, the batch code and the price you can read for yourself.
Inside the formula
Inside the formula
Worth knowing
- Patch test this serum on a small area and wait a day before using it more widely, especially with Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 on the list.
- Introduce this serum on its own for the first week, so anything your skin does is traceable to the Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 rather than to three changes at once.
Complete the routine
- This itemCelimax Dual Barrier Boosting Serum 30ml$47.50

- Cleanse first, so the next step meets bare skincelimax Derma Nature Fresh Blackhead Jojoba Cleansing Oil 150ml$27.50

- An as-needed step, in place of the prep layercelimax JI WOO GAE Heartleaf BHA Peeling Pad 50P$22.50

Total for 3 items$97.50
Reviews
No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!
Write a reviewWrite a review
celimax Dual Barrier Boosting Serum 30ml
How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.
We’re on gram!
Creators trying on authentic Korean skincare routines and products from us.
Rating a shelf of Dr. Althea products one by one.
Jasmine Loo · YouTube
Two hydrating serums side by side, IUNIK and Dr. Althea.
Kristin · YouTube
A walk through the Dr. Althea serum lineup and who each one suits.
auraofmahmuda · YouTube
A blunt first take on the Dr. Althea range.
Lexi Chang · YouTube
A first look at the viral 345 Relief Cream before buying.
Shelley Nayak · YouTube
A first try of the Dr. Althea serum on camera.
Hannah Ziad · YouTube
Celimax, Korean-market original
The Original Korean Formula serum from Celimax, 30ml formulated with Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12 and Ceramide NP, shipped from California or direct from Korea.
Verify your unit when it arrives
Verify your unit when it arrives
Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.
On the unit itself
- The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
- The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.
정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock
What professionals say
What professionals say
What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.
Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Ask an AI assistant about this product
Opens ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude in a new tab with the question prefilled. Claude asks you to sign in first.








